A first object of the present invention is to provide a system which eliminates the inconveniences and the gaps of the Prior Art. Another object is to provide a hospital converter system showing the advantages of being compact and compatible with all types of conventional surgical tables with the additional advantage of being controllable and activated by concentrated devices immediately accessible to the surgical team.
A further object is a method to simply operate said systems and the relevant devices.
Typically the converter system according to the invention carries out the surgical operations on the inferior limbs of a patient in an extended position, under optimized conditions.
The system comprises at least:
a first multi-functional articulated sub-system (101) with an articulation to couple and connect to an extension base, with at least three degrees of freedom;
a second sub-system (102) of support and movement of the patient limb coupling means, with at least two degrees of freedom;
a third sub-system (103) associated to said second sub-system (102) with at least one degree of freedom between said second sub-system (102) and the following sub-system (104);
a fourth sub-system (104) of interconnections between said third sub-system and the next sub-system (105) of said member coupling means with at least one degree of freedom over (103); and
a fifth sub-system (105) of articulation and support of said patient member with at least three degrees of freedom.
In a first embodiment the system of the invention shows further preferred characteristics separately or in combination wherein:
a) sub-system (101) is a hinge mechanism;
b) sub-system (102) is a binary track provided with holes or slits of linear fixation of sub-system (103) and of rotation over a vertical axis;
c) sub-system (103) is a carriage mechanism provided of means for its translation, for the rotation of sub-system (102), and for the traction of the limb to be operated;
d) to said carriage are associated means for engagement within the holes or slits of the track, as well as a toothed wheel: a plate penetrates within the empty spaces between the wheel teeth to determine the position of sub-system (103), (104) and (105);
e) sub-system (104) is a shoe in particular a hinge which matches and fits the limb foot; and
f) said sub-systems are assembled together in the operative phase whereas the command means are associated to the carriage in the initial phase of rough positioning.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system includes a sixth sub-system (106) to optimize the limb position over the surgeon, including means (111) to feed and control a compressed fluid flow (112) to an elastic pneumatically modifiable body (107) e.g. in the form of a cushion, small mattress, elongated balloon, located under the lying patient; the feeding and regulating means (111) being associated to the converter system (110) whereas the pneumatically modifiable body may preferably be embedded in the lying patient supporting table (106). The means (111) of the sub-system (106) are activated by the surgical team to finely regulate the height, distance, inclination of the limb over the surgeon.
The various aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, discussion and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.